Recessional
by Crazy PurpleSage
Summary: 'I know I don't want this,' Naruto thinks. 'No I swear I don't want this. There's a reason not to want this... but I've forget.' Naruto didn't think twice this time; he quickly followed Sasuke. SasuNaruSasu. Recessional by Vienna Teng.


_Disclaimer_: I own neither NARUTO, who is Kishimoto-sensei's, nor the song Recessional by Vienna Teng.

Many thanks Bea for chapterising! I know the versions I gave you were quite odd, but you edited them all the same. You're the best!

_**Recessional**_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

_"It's so beautiful here," she says,  
"This moment now and this moment, now."_

_.._

Black hair was swept caressingly behind a pale ear and arresting dark eyes locked with cloudy blue.

Soft stain sheets rustled against smooth skin as a toned tan body rolled over onto its back, shoulders and hips melding into the paler ones of his counterpart as he settled into the mattress.

"It's been awhile."

The words hang in the air for a moment, both parties waiting to see what would become of them.

"Too long," was the reply after a few minutes, breaking the beautiful and uncertain silence.

"Too long," the other man echoed. "Too, too long," he mumbles off, feeling the force of sleep pulling down on him but refusing to submit. He was glad he was here.

_.._

_And I never thought I would find her here:  
Flannel and satin, my four walls transformed._

_.._

A pregnant pause followed, though not uncomfortably, as the two men stared up at the ceiling, their eyes out of focus and eyelids drooping as the seconds ticked past. Eventually, the blond turned his head towards the other, catching the raven's attention with the slow movement.

"I didn't think I'd see you again. At least not here."

"So soon," the raven finishes for him in a tone that suggests their shared surprise.

He smiled in response. "It would seem, Sa-su-ke," he says slowly, trailing his fingers up the other man's defined biceps. "That you're no longer as elusive and mysterious as you once thought," he said with a chuckle, remembering days past with jokes of ninjas and nighttime avengers.

Breaking the connection, Sasuke rolled his deep grey eyes, which held tiny flecks of blue and green that momentarily reflected the light from the hall, spilling in from under the door. "If I remember correctly," he began humorously, letting the other know that he shouldn't doubt anything less, "it was _you _who came up with that idea that I was a ninja; I had nothing to do with it."

The blond humphed, clearly unimpressed, but not taking his eyes off the raven; instead, just waiting for Sasuke to cave and admit his part in the whole shenanigans.

Sasuke turned his head to hide the smile clear as day on his lips, though with the curtains drawn to block out the morning sun that was sure to come through in a few hours, it was hard to tell.

"Even so," Sasuke finally says, schooling his expression well enough to not let his amusement be heard in his voice, "I do still make a better ninja."

"Bastard," the blond quipped, ending the brief comeback with an insult that was softened by the reverence in his voice as he spoke and the tan hand that moved to seek the other, paler one under the sheets. But not before mumbling that Sasuke couldn't make a good ninja without him anyway; you needed good competition to excel.

Sasuke, of course was quick to assert the alternative–that an idiot could make anyone look better than they were without even trying.

Nothing coming to mind to effectively retort, unfortunately –it seemed some things really never did change – he instead focused on the paler hand in his grip. Sasuke's skin was rougher for some reason, the blond mused silently; maybe it was just time's gentle caress adding creases and a tougher quality with age. But it suited him somehow, redefined this newer, more mature Sasuke in a way the blond couldn't really describe.

"I knew I had to find you again eventually," he said, still tracing Sasuke's hands with his fingers, squeezing the weathered hand in his own hardened grip. He wondered if _his_ hands feel different too as he brought the connected appendages up to his chest and pressed them close to his heart.

"It was only a matter of time," he continued, looking straight into the other's eyes again and holding the gaze. They had always spoken better with actions and glances. And yet, he could rarely keep himself from speaking what was on his mind. Like now, pushing the joke an inch further and teasing pointlessly, then forgetting the whole argument a second later without blinking an eye.

Sasuke smirked. "True. Took you long enough, though," he said, that familiar challenge present.

Instead of a retaliation, which was almost expected and would be a given 12 years ago, the blond raised his other hand and turned the raven's head softly until they are nose to nose.

And then it is hard to hide both of their smiles.

_.._

_But she's looking at me, straight to center,  
No room at all for any other thought._

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

He was just coming home after a month long business trip in Sweden. He was only about five hours away from his house, but it was already 10 o'clock at night and he hadn't been able to sleep on the plane. Not wanting to get into any unnecessary accidents, he decided to stop at an inn for the night and then head out again bright and early tomorrow. It was a Friday after all, so he had the whole weekend to rest before he would have to go back into work and report to his partners and underlings.

Pulling into the small hotel parking lot, he cut the ignition and grabbed his overnight bag from under the passenger's seat, not even paying attention to the black Mercedes that had stopped behind him to park in the adjacent spot, as he opened his door and walked inside. His eyes were half-lidded and he didn't think he could go another step even if he tried.

The man at the desk smiled politely and welcomed him, asking how he could be of assistance –the standard greeting for customers –though it was clear that this man too could do with a spot of sleep, if the small bags under his eyes were any indication.

Still, he smiled in return to the receptionist's greeting and requested a single for the night. Handing the man his card, he nearly keeled over onto his side, the weight of his bag pulling down his other arm until he dropped the thing by his feet before his arm popped out of socket. Not to de over dramatic, but his body was so sore and tired at the moment, that he figured he deserved some form of dramaturgy.

This fatigue was going to be the death of him, as he had thought so many times before after a grueling day of work or a long business trip that had him formally greeting so many people with a smile here and bow there that he thought his face was going to freeze like that. It was no wonder he came home each day massaging his temples, trying his best to unwind and step out of the businessman façade and into his own relaxing quiet time.

He tried his best to resist the urge to shrug his head into his hand and try to sleep right there on the counter as the man swiped his card, recorded his information into the computer, and found an available room. Finally, the man looked back up at him with a keycard in hand and addressed him politely again, that artificial smile still in place letting him know that this receptionist probably had a similarly difficult time stepping out of his role at the end of the day too.

And yet the world still turns.

"Thank you for staying with us Namikaze-san. You're room number is 231, Have a nice night."

Naruto smiled and accepted the key graciously. "You too," he replied kindly before turning around and looking at the lobby. Even though the inn was close to his home he had never been here before. Suddenly, his stomach gave an angry growl of protest at being ignored, and he blinked in realisation that he hadn't eaten anything all day. Plane food was neither satisfying nor good and therefore not even worth trying. It tended to get him sick in any case.

Lucky for him, though, there was a small convenience store of sorts between the front desk and the elevator that he would need to take to go up to his room. Rubbing at his sore eyes, he looked over at the shelves and selected a bag of chips, a granola bar, and water. Not that he didn't want a full square meal, but he didn't think he could put in the effort that required anything more than opening a plastic wrapper.

Paying the cashier mechanically, his mind was buzzing with white noise, which he could only attest to his tiredness, drowning out all other sounds around him. All he could think about as he grabbed the proffered handles of the plastic bag was the bed he was going to sink into in mere moments and fall asleep, with clothes and shoes on and all.

That is, until he felt a hand on the back of his shoulder and a warm body pressing into his from behind.

"Naruto?"

The sound of his name froze all other thoughts and movements. Multiple images, memories, and emotions flew around in his head in frenzy as he remembered being in this position so many times in the past, remembered feeling, smelling, and just being in and around this man behind him. And his mind even went a step further, imagining exactly what this position at this moment meant and what the man behind him was thinking. And had he entered the Twilight Zone or was this real? And had he already fallen asleep without knowing it, because where else did he see the man who had been plaguing his thoughts all throughout the business trip? Surely not the hotel just outside his home city.

And then, his tiredness was the very last thing occupying his thoughts; the adrenaline rushing in with a second wind before the rational side of his brain could even think of what this all meant.

This wasn't happening. They were over. Long ago.

But…

_.._  
_And I know I don't want this, oh, I swear I don't want this.  
There's a reason not to want this but I forgot. _

_.._

Turning around, suddenly awake and on alert, Naruto stared wide-eyed and unabashedly at the site before him.

"Sasuke," he breathed. "What are you doing here?" For it was the only rational thing his mind could come up with at the moment. Had he really fallen asleep in the lobby or were Fate and Coincidence still conspiring together to throw him off his game after all these years?

The raven haired man smiled, ever so slightly, his eyes relaxing into a small grin. "I'm visiting family," he intoned, seemingly amused by his own answer, or maybe Naruto's reaction to him.

"Oh."

He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know if this was a good idea, right here, right now. He had thought they had said goodbye, again.

But…

"And you?" Sasuke asked, adjusting his small dark green travel bag in his grip, eyes never wavering from Naruto's.

And him? What about him? He was good. He was fine. He had been thinking about Sasuke all during his time in Sweden. And now…

Naruto finally allowed some order to flow back into his thoughts and quickly opened his mouth to explain how he had just returned from his business trip in Sweden and how he was just staying the night here to get some sleep before driving home in the morning.

"Me too," Sasuke said, raising his eyebrows in agreement but not saying anything more. After a moment, he swung his bag forwards towards the elevator, indicating the direction he was taking, and began to move his body, but not before shooting a long, meaningful look at Naruto. Face bowed down ever so slightly to give him a suggestive, feral look that was both exciting and frightening. Naruto gulped as Sasuke finally turned his head and started walking away.

Naruto didn't think twice this time; he quickly followed.

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

_In the terminal she sleeps on my shoulder,  
Hair falling forward, mouth all askew.  
Fluorescent announcements beat their wings overhead:  
"Passengers missing, we're looking for you."_

_.._

Naruto looked down at the man resting against his shoulder in a moment that seemed frozen in time, surreal. Sweet memories of years past collided unexpectedly and harshly with the lonely present Naruto had gotten himself so used to. He couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed the simple pleasure of shared body heat with another. But not just any other. Sasuke. The man who, once he was asleep, let the usual composure and menacing demeanor slide off his face like melted ice cream; and today, years later, was no different. And just like years before, when Naruto traced the outline of Sasuke's jet black bangs, casting shadows over his eyes, nose, and mouth, everything else in the world seemed to vanish. Nothing existed but Sasuke, his soft weight on Naruto's shoulder, and the quiet hum of the air-conditioning overhead that blurred out the busy noises of the airport terminal.

Naruto smiled. He hadn't smiled like that, especially not in Sasuke's or anyone else's presence, since he was young. A younger, more carefree man; practically still a teenager, fresh out of college. When the world had been full of possibilities and he could do no wrong.

_.._

_And she dreams through the noise, her weight against me,  
Face pressed into the corduroy grooves. __  
.._

Sasuke groaned lightly in his sleep and turned his chin to press his face further into Naruto's shoulder, nose subconsciously nuzzling the blond's neck as he shifted in his sleep. Naruto watched, apprehensive and scared, as Sasuke's eyes fluttered momentarily from the dreams playing in his head. He hoped they were good ones.

Breathing a sigh of relief when Sasuke had settled down once more, Naruto was suddenly brought to the realisation that he hadn't moved an inch and had been holding his breath the whole time. The moment was still too surreal to grasp, he couldn't even remember how they had even gotten into this situation anymore. It didn't matter. Somehow Sasuke admitting that he didn't get much sleep last night and telling him that his flight was an hour after Naruto's, had turned into Sasuke sleeping peacefully on his shoulder and Naruto letting him.

Naruto surreptitiously checked his watch on his free wrist, thankfully not the same side Sasuke was occupying, and noted that he only had 20 more minutes until he had to be at his gate. He hoped Sasuke woke up before then. And yet, at the same time, he wished he they could just stay like this. Because once he got up and left for his flight to Sweden, he would probably never see Sasuke again.

In the end, he did leave. Gingerly placing a sleeping Sasuke's head on his own dulled orange jacket, which was on the seat he had been warming for the past hour, and leaving with the silent roll of his suitcase across the tiled floor to his designated gate.

He didn't look back. He didn't think he could.

_.._

_Maybe it means nothing, maybe it means nothing,  
Maybe it means nothing, but I'm afraid to move.  
_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

He hadn't expected to find Sasuke here at the airport like he did. But he had.

He rubbed at the collar of his coffee cup and looked down at the bit of yellow fluff sticking out from under his seat, the plastic ripped long ago by a bored child no doubt, or the quick jerk of a suitcase stuck at a wrong angle as the owner heard the final boarding call. But all those things were inconsequential at the moment to the man sitting next to him in an equally battered chair. Naruto didn't really know what to say, though he had always been the one to say the first word and Sasuke to say the last. Apparently their separation had changed everything Naruto knew about the man, because the next moment, just when Naruto was opening his mouth to make a lame comment on the weather or long, unnecessary waits at airport terminals due to security reasons, Sasuke spoke.

"I've been hearing your name on the news a lot."

Naruto looked over, shocked and wanting to make sure that it was Sasuke who had actually spoken, not just someone who sounds like Sasuke and says normal things that do not end in insults.

But indeed, it was Sasuke. It was clear from the awkwardness radiating from the raven as he stared at the bright white letters of departures and destinations on the boarding schedule above; looking anywhere but at Naruto.

Naruto took a sip from his cup and wondered if that was a good or bad thing, the hearing his name on the news comment. Obviously Sasuke was just referring to the fact that Naruto's company had gone through a revamp since Naruto had taken up the position of CEO within the last ten years and was currently climbing the international charts quickly and progressively. Naruto had completely changed the company's customer service mission; corrupt heads had been fired after grueling trials, and new, more capable people Naruto knew of personally had been established; and more money was being sent to needy charities all the time.

Sasuke had been around when Naruto had first taken over his uncle's company, but hadn't stuck around long enough to see Naruto actually shine and thrive in the new setting. But in retrospect, which hadn't come for a long time afterwards, Naruto really couldn't blame him. In fact, he was glad to be seeing Sasuke now_, after_ he had finally gotten his shit together and felt confident in standing tall and proud as the CEO of Senju Inc..

But still. Did Sasuke like hearing his name on the news all the time? Was he indifferent to it and merely commenting on the fact like one would about the weather or sitting and waiting for an unnecessarily long time in airport terminals? Did he stop and listen to Naruto's name being mentioned or when Naruto spoke himself or did he immediately change the channel and try to push all the memories of Naruto to the back of his mind?

"Congratulations," Sasuke finally said, relieving Naruto of his scaling panic that he didn't even understand the cause of yet. "Your father and uncle would have been pride," Sasuke continued after a moment, looking over at Naruto and meeting his eyes. By some miracle, the awkwardness was gone and Naruto wondered where those ten years really had gone to.

Maybe Sasuke hearing his name had been more of a good thing than he realised. _  
_

_.._

_And the words: they're everything and nothing.  
I want to search for her in the offhand remarks.  
_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

"Extra milk, sugar, and honey, please," he listed off his order from practiced memory to the lady behind the counter and handed over the correct bills.

"Just a moment," she replied politely, giving him a small welcoming smile, and went over to make the requested coffee.

Naruto sat back and leaned nonchalantly against the counter. He had a flight to catch in a few hours and needed some caffeine to keep him awake. He hated plane rides, no matter how often his position forced him to travel. They made him antsy and nervous. But despite several people telling him that caffeine was not the way to go to quell his jitters, he knew when he needed his caffeine fix, and that was definitely on long plane rides.

"Black no sugar."

Naruto turned his head sharply to the side, all thoughts of caffeine fixes wiped from his mind as he swore he heard a familiar deep and sultry voice from the counter next to him.

"Sasuke?" He intoned quietly, barely an inch louder than the quiet buzz of the café.

He sucked in a breath as the man, despite his quiet, disbelieving voice that Naruto had thought no one had actually heard, slowly turned his head and met Naruto's eyes in equally shocked surprise. A moment passed as the two continued to stare at each other, though in reality it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, before Sasuke answered with the most obvious response. Apparently he needed the confirmation too.

"Naruto."

..

_Who are you, taking coffee, no sugar?_  
..

Naruto gulped. Unbidden, his eyes examined Sasuke, up and down, time frozen still as he slowly and leisurely followed the familiar gravity-defying hair, looking just as soft as he remembered, though now sprinkled with a little premature salt and pepper. Naruto thought it made him look even more mature and confident, though he couldn't explain why. It was just _Sasuke_, only slightly different. He continued his visual exploration of the man, eyes dropping down languidly to perfectly manicured eyebrows that shaped intelligent, intent eyes, down to the distinctly aristocratic long nose, subtly pursed lips, and sophisticated sharp curve of a pale jaw, and long, flawless neck. The man looked as stunning as ever.

"Here you go, sir." The lady pushed his coffee across the counter, briefly capturing his attention from Sasuke long enough to break the spell and snap him back to reality. Naruto took the cup and walked away, towards Sasuke, so the next person could order.

Sasuke stayed where he was, bearing the scrutiny impassively; eyes not leaving the two blue ones Naruto had narrowed in on him.

He had gained a little weight, Naruto took notice as he got closer, his face a tad bit fuller than Naruto recalled. But studies and stress during college and then his first, unsatisfying full-time job had given him a gaunt look during the time they had been together. Naruto decided, with little prompting, that he liked this healthier look better.

"You look good," Naruto said aloud, still taking in the pressed black business suit, grey tie, and pointed patent leather shoes.

Sasuke nodded as he took his own coffee cup from the teenage boy without looking. "You too," he said.

They stepped away from the lines together and ventured towards the large windows in a fairly remote area.

"Wha-" Naruto stopped himself, seeing the pointlessness of asking what Sasuke was doing here. It was a coffee shop, nothing odd about that. "Where are you going," he settled for instead.

Unfortunately, those words brought back sharp memories. It was the words he had said years ago, after Sasuke had told Naruto he needed to find his future somewhere else, without any distractions. Naruto hadn't understood what Sasuke had meant at the time. He had just graduated top of his class for law and was now working for a private firm. Albeit, not the most satisfying or interesting work at the moment, but he had to start somewhere. No one just gets a job as a successful lawyer right out of school. Naruto had thought Sasuke knew that, so what else did he want to do? Where did he plan to go?

Naruto still didn't understand what Sasuke had planned to do with his career, but he at least came to comprehend the meaning behind Sasuke's words after awhile.

Sasuke's eyes flickered sadly to his white covered cup, wincing slightly and pursing his lips a bit harder as he failed to meet Naruto's gaze, indicating that he remembered the last time those words were spoken too.

"I have a flight to Denmark to catch. You?"

Naruto smiled. He didn't know why yet, but for some reason it made him feel lighter to know that they were both heading the same way.

"I have a flight to Sweden."

Sasuke nodded towards the door and Naruto took the invitation.

_.._

_Who are you, echoing street signs?_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

Listening to some classical rock, the music flowing from the radio and into Naruto's ears with an invigorating rhythm, he made a mental checklist to ensure he hadn't left anything at home.

Toothbrush? Check.

Files? Check.

Deodorant and cologne? He screwed his brows together, trying to remember if he had packed those two key items that ensured he didn't scare away potential business partners with his smell.

Oh right –he had slipped those into the side pocket of his carry on right before he left the bathroom.

Check.

Pleased that everything was set and ready, he pulled his mind back to the present and looked at the road ahead. Though he was still only a few miles from his home, it wouldn't be the first time his wandering thoughts had him veering off course and down some random, unknown road, getting him lost for a few moments as he regained his bearings.

Glad to see that he was still on track, he took a right on _Rasengan Way_, smiling sadly to himself as he did so.

The sign always reminded him of a private joke from long ago. Back when he had had a best friend to call his own. A best friend who liked to sneak up on him and scare the wits out of him like nobody's business. Well, in all fairness, his friend was never actually putting any effort into scaring him, he would just pop up out of nowhere usually and seem like he had been there forever. And then when Naruto yelled or started shouting obscenities he would frown and scold Naruto for being oblivious to the world around him.

Eventually, after Naruto calmed down and the insults had tapered out to a minimum, Naruto would jokingly dub him a freaky ninja. Later, Naruto tried his best to return the favour, sneaking up and attempting to scare his friend at least three times a week, if not three times a day, using all the wonders of his imagination to the best of his ability in attempt to throw his friend off his game. Jutsus were created, _Oodama_ _Rasengan_ being just one product of his awesome genius, "tactics" and martial arts moves were tested out, and even a whole new black and orange wardrobe was created to fit the new persona. It was a little overboard, he would admit. But you only get to be a kid once. Or rather, society only acknowledges you as a kid once.

In the end, none of it really worked, but when it did, Naruto would shout his victory to the world, yet again negating all the silent stealth he had just pulled off. And once everyone in the immediate vicinity and some not so close by knew what Naruto had done, his friend would proceed to tell him, not without the amused, exasperated smirk and never-ending eye roll that he wasn't a ninja yet if he didn't know the art of silence.

Naruto never did learn the art of silence in time. One could say it just wasn't in his nature, and how could one expect otherwise from him? It was just who Naruto was. But Sasuke had seemed just fine with that.

_.._

_Who are you, the stranger in the shell of a lover__? _

_.._

The transition from best friends to boyfriends had been an easy one at first. It seemed so simple and perfect that Naruto never questioned it. Everything about them just flowed seamlessly, from arguing to making out, punching to petting, complimenting to insulting. It was all the same to them.

But then graduation came and went. They were no longer kids and realised they had to make decisions bigger than just themselves. At first they got an apartment together, finding it cheaper and more convenient to see one another that way, especially around their busy schedules. Each had found work somehow, Sasuke continuing his position from his internship at a law firm, and Naruto looking high and low for something that interested him before finally settling for a position in the local airlines.

Sometimes he despaired when the smiles he wore everyday just to please everyone, even the most unruly and rude customers, were too fake. And he wondered why he was there, travelling all the time and spending less and less time at home, away from Sasuke. But he would forget all that once he fit his key into the lock and opened up their shared apartment door, where he would find Sasuke waiting for him, waiting so that they could unwind their problems to each other all night long. Even then, things were fine. Naruto's job paid well enough and Sasuke was rising in the ranks slowly, but surely.

And then came the call.

The call that changed everything. The call where some random nobody assigned to the phones informed Naruto that his second uncle had died. The same uncle whom Naruto had only seen twice growing up, the same uncle who "supported" him with a monthly check and paid for his college expenses ever since his parents died when Naruto was five. He was also the same uncle who owned Senju Inc. and Naruto was the sole surviving heir. It was that call that made Naruto realise it was time to grow up and take responsibility. He had lived off his uncle's generosity for too long and it was time to give back. He had a choice to make.

Things got much more hectic from that point on. All Naruto seemed to be doing was complaining, worrying, freaking out, eating at odd times of the day, depending on whenever he had a free moment, and then eating as much as he could to last him days, and sleeping. Taking over a whole company was no small feat, not to mention dealing with the people who had had other ideas about who was going to take over. No one had really heard of Naruto prior to the president's death, so Naruto couldn't really blame them. And yet he did; ranting to Sasuke every night until it seemed that was all he ever did. Until it seemed like he was the only one with problems and something worth talking about.

And then, long nights spent on the couch just talking, or not talking at all, became few and far between. And then really far between, to the point they were a distant memory, and Naruto didn't even notice.

And Sasuke just continued to go about his day like before, until they were living two completely separate lives, simply accommodating each other for the convenience of it.

_.._  
_Dark curtains drawn by the passage of time? _  
_.._

Naruto stood at the door to the apartment that neither of them wanted to live in anymore. Sasuke was further down the hall, carrying all that was left of his things –everything else had been shipped ahead a few days ago to his new, undisclosed location.

Naruto stood blinking ahead, both frozen in their respective spots. He supposed he couldn't say that he hadn't seen this coming, but he didn't want to admit that he didn't know the man on the other end of the hall anymore. Nor that more than distance had come between them. Because, even though he was still mad and sad and confused and frustrated and so many other emotions he didn't even think had names for, he knew that he still loved Sasuke. And he didn't want to feel that love right now; he wanted to suppress that idea altogether and just not feel at all.

But that was hard to do when the man you were trying to keep from your thoughts still stood right in front of you.

Closing the door behind himself for the last time, he waited for Sasuke to make the next move. Sasuke seemed to be making all the last moves lately.

_.._  
_Oh, words, like rain, how sweet the sound. _

_.._

Despite all the hurtful words yelled, screamed, and cried until Naruto's voice was hoarse, and despite his last-ditch attempts to make Sasuke stay, from desperate, rough kisses to physically trying to pull the suitcase from Sasuke's white fisted hands, what was done was done. Their relationship hadn't been perfect; but he had to admit that it had been even less so recently. He could blame the job, but he knew it was more than that, even if he couldn't pinpoint what more it was just yet. But still, as he stood there on the threshold before the closed door, his own stuff littering the hall around him, all he wanted to hear was Sasuke's voice one last time before it all came to an end.

Sasuke finally spoke, softly telling the ground that he should go now.

Another moment passed in which Naruto wondered if he should reply. His throat closed momentarily as he tried to pull up the sound to agree – a hum, grunt, or _anything_ –but stopped when he saw Sasuke hoist his bag up to his shoulder and turn towards the open elevator door. He wasn't waiting for Naruto anymore.

"I'll," Sasuke tried to start again, stopping awkwardly with one foot into the elevator; maybe trying to clear the air a bit before he left for good. But apparently he figured that they both knew it was pointless by this time, because a second later, he moved his whole body into the metal box. "I'll see you around," he finally said, as strong and clear as he could, looking straight at Naruto one last time just as the doors started to shut.

"Good luck," Naruto whispered as the light for the down arrow lit up with a ping and Sasuke was cut off from his view.

That was that, Naruto thought as he grasped at Sasuke's last words in his head, playing them round and round as he continued to stand in front of the door. He didn't know how long he stood there, but eventually he picked up his things and followed the same path Sasuke had taken earlier.

'For now,' the soft whisper still sang in his head as he desperately tried to ingrain it into his memory. All anger and blame was void from his mind at the moment because in the grand scheme of things, his anger wasn't worth it. But remembering what they used to have was. And so, looking unfocusedly at the silver metal walls surrounding him on his way down to the lobby for the last time, he played the words over in his head until they were mere sounds and pitches of music notes that he feared would soon become like a distant lullaby.

_..__  
"Well anyway," she says, "I'll see you around..."_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

終わり

**A/N:** Alright, just to make things clear to all those who aren't completely sure what was going on, I based this off of a Vienna Teng song, Recessional, which is supposedly a "reverse strip-tease". Everything is told backwards. It starts out with being held in a moment and then seeing all the little moments that led up to it. I know it's a bit different, but I just love the song and wanted to get out my own interpretation of what it means, or what it could mean. So, the beginning of this story is essentially the end and the end can be looked on as the beginning. Make sense? *chuckles*

And, of course, I love Vienna Teng and all her songs, but I really hope I did this one justice at least. I know this song can be taken many other ways, but I just got this idea in my head with Naruto and Sasuke. Whatever way you interpret it, it really is a truly beautiful song. Listen to it sometime if you have the chance.

Thanks for reading and please leave me with your thoughts. I'm curious to see what you think of this.


End file.
